It's Almost Halloween!

Boo, Cackle, Trick or Treat! It's almost Halloween on each spooky street!

Are you looking for some tasty morsels to serve at your Halloween bash? If you are planning a buffet style for a large or even a smaller group, my I suggest one or both of the following dishes.

The first is my "famous" antipasti platter! I have talked about this one before here. Basically, I like to make a pretty platter with a variety of tasty items that all go together. I often vary what I put on the platter but I almost always place roasted red and yellow bell peppers, a mixture of tomatoes, basil, olive oil and garlic, salamis, prociutto, and olives. Other options are different meats, marinated mushrooms, artichokes, or different cheeses. Be creative. Use what is on hand and play with the color to make an attractive arrangement. I serve with fresh baguette slices or Italian ciabatta. This dish is really popular with my family and friends. I am asked to make it for many parties. The above platter was for a friend's 40th! It is a pretty large platter and I did one other one for that party at just the same size.

But the STAR of the platter is the Spicy Marinated Mozzarella with Oregano and Capers from Bon Appetit in the center! This is an amazing recipe and SO easy! I make it all the time.

Spicy Marinated Mozzarella with Oregano and Capers

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons capers, chopped

Overlap cheese slices on medium platter.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper and stir just until garlic begins to color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in oregano, salt, and pepper. Cool. Stir in capers and remaining 4 tablespoons oil. Spoon over cheese slices.

This next dish (above) I want to introduce you to is from a 1995 issue of Martha Stewart Living. Once again, I have made this dish a couple times and each time it did not disappoint. In fact it was just SO good, I could barely stop eating it and rice, especially cold rice, is not even a big favorite of mine. It is just so fresh and tangy and light yet flavorful. The orange and lime juices just sing. The cilantro provides zing and the saffron the allure of far off places. The colors make it even that much more gorgeous both to the eye and the taste buds!

While this salad calls for squid/calamari, I chose to put shrimp in it instead. It was a bit easier and I felt that it would appeal to more people. The whole dish comes together in a snap and is so versatile. It can be a side dish, a main course, a picnic item or an appetizer.

Paella Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon saffron
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pound cleaned squid, bodies cut into 1/4-inch rings
• 1 1/2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes (12 ounces)
• 3 celery stalks, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1. Crumble saffron into 2 cups of cold water in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Stir in rice and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice and transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. Whisk together lime and orange juices, olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cumin. Pour over cooled rice and mix to combine.
3. Bring a saucepan of cold water to a boil. Add remaining teaspoon salt and squid. Cook until squid is completely opaque, about 30 seconds. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain again, pat dry, and add to rice. Toss with remaining ingredients and serve.

Don't forget, if you are looking for Halloween items or invitations, you can find many cute and festive things in my Zazzle Gallery! http://www.zazzle.com/missnnick* Please come on in and have a look. There are also many other designers in the forum with fun, witty and amazing art and gifts!

Blog Cards, Profile Cards, Business Cards

Cute Cupcake Calling Card by MissNNick
Design custom business cards on Zazzle.com

Do you need a business card? Mommy card? Profile card? Blog Card? Come check out my Zazzle store and check out the selection! Or if you don't see what you had in mind, send me a note and I will work with you to design something for free and add it to the site. Then all you have to do is click and order! It is that simple. And I will continually be adding cards and designs to the store as well so keep checking back!

And again, I know I have been rather MIA but life is busy. As a quick update, I have been out playing with the kids this summer, working on a new line of photo cards, setting up more and more product on the Zazzle Store, have my computer crash sooooo bad that it took over a week to recover all the data and I still lost some. Mostly photos of all things. But my family photos were mostly backed up on Kodak. But the food photos... those I have been saving to share with you... the fish on the grill from Bon Appetit, the friendship bread, weekday dinners and who knows what... GONE! GONE, GONE, GONE forever! You know what that means???? #1) I REALLY don't have much to share at the moment. AND #2) I better get in the kitchen and start cooking up more dishes, photos and memories!

I want you to know that I miss you and blogging but some other things are just taking precedence. I hope you will excuse me. And I hope to be back soon.

Wedding Food Highlights

My cousin's wedding reception was at the Balboa Bay Club just over a week ago. Now I have a particular soft spot for this place as it is not only near my beloved water and Newport Beach but it is also where I had my reception! So my husband and I took a couple photos outside for memory's sake. How do you like my yacht? Don't I wish... But I did want to share my new shoes I am just loving!

Now check out these flower arrangements and the CAKE! Have you ever seen anything so gorgeous? It was truly a spectacular wedding. One of the most beautiful I have ever seen!

Now onto some food highlights. Unfortunately I started to eat this before taking a shot of it.

Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Pancetta and Asparagus

This was to DIE for! And for once I was rather happy my husband is such a picky eater. I got his too! Not that I needed that much but oohhhhh.... It was so amazing.

Tower of Red and Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella and Arugula

I think this one speaks for itself. Absolutely delicious and beautiful to look at as well.

Now I am really bummed as I forgot to take a photo of the main course. I was just too busy eating, drinking, talking, laughing and having fun. But it was a duo of Pistachio Crusted Sea Bass with Beurre Blanc Chardonandnay Herb Grilled Filet Mignon with Port Sauce. Good? You could say that!

And check this out. BEFORE the cake was cut, this warm bread pudding à la mode was served.
Now bread pudding isn't my favorite dessert. It is fine but I usually don't waste the calories. But THIS! Oh me, oh my! I ate almost the whole thing! As as you see from above, I was already stuffed to the gills. It was warm mixed with cold. Doughy and cakey mixed with creamy and just so delicious.

What a fun night! We all had a blast and the food was just to die for. A big congratulations to Erica and Ronnie! You are a beautiful couple and I wish you all the best!

My Miss 'N Nick Zazzle Store

buy unique gifts at Zazzle

Hello Everybody!

How are you? I hope this email finds you well and enjoying the end of spring. Summer is nearly here! I cannot believe how time flies.

This quick post is to let you know about a new store/gallery I have opened. It is a print on demand site called Zazzle. There are a number of different products I have put the Miss 'N Nick style/my designs on from t-shirts to tennis shoes! Hats, buttons, mouse pads, onsies and even actual postage stamps can all be created and customized to my (or your) specifications. Please check out some of the designs I have created so far. http://www.zazzle.com/missnnick

Also, if you have a need for something in particular like shirts for your child's soccer team, hats for your company picnic, buttons for your new born baby or personalized gifts, I would be happy to work with you and illustrate something for FREE! I will then add it to the gallery and all you have to do is customize it with the text or sizes you need and order! Everything ships within 24 hours! It is that simple.

Once again please check out the site. http://www.zazzle.com/missnnick. Let me know if there is something you would like to see and tell your friends. Keep checking back too as I have a ton of ideas and designs I have yet to load into the gallery. This will be slowly happening as time permits. If you have a blog or website and want to help me promote it, I would be so happy to have you copy or share this flash piece or the web link on your site. Let me know.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!
Best,
Nicole
http://missnnick.com/

The Best Blueberry Muffins

Whenever I go to the market with my children I try to get them to pick a new fruit or vegetable. This tactic seems to work just a teeny tiny bit better for getting them to try new things and have healthy options. So one day, not too long ago, my daughter started jumping up and down and begging for the blueberries. They looked good. The price still wasn't that low. But....

Me: Will you eat them?
Danielle: Yes!
Me: Promise?
Danielle: Yes! I love them!
Me: Are you sure?
Danielle: Mommmmmmyyyyyy... I want blueberries. They are sooooo yummy and I am going to eat all of them all up as soon as we get home.
Me: Okay then. You better eat them!

Flash forward an hour or so. Danielle eats one. She makes a face and pushes the basket away. I throw back a few. Nicholas wouldn't try them. And forget my husband. He is the worst!

You see last summer in Vermont, Danielle at a gazillion blueberries from a wild bush but the commercial variety do not seem to appeal to her too much. They are plump and pretty but do not have that same sweet and sour taste. So they sat in the refrigerator. And sat. And sat. And finally... there was only really one thing to do with them!

The problem was. I am not the biggest fan of muffins. They always taste just okay to me and after eating them I feel more bloated than if I ate a whole pizza! And YES, I have eaten a whole pizza once or twice in my life! The muffins just seem to sit in my stomach like a ton of bricks. But others like muffins so I could always bring some to my mom, grandmother, kid's teachers etc... Right?

WRONG! These turned out sooooo good that a couple made it to my mom's house and that was it! We gobbled them up for 2 days and then I froze just a couple for some special morning when I really wanted a sweet confection. Really these are probably THE best muffins I have ever had. You must give them a try.

Blueberry Muffins Recipe
(Adapted from Simply Recipes)

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 stick of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Greek style yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 Tbsp flour (if using defrosted frozen berries)

cinnamon sugar mixture

1 Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

3 In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the grated lemon peel.

4 Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat. Fold in the berries. If you are using frozen berries, defrost them first, drain the excess liquid, and then coat them in a light dusting of flour.

5 Use a standard 12-muffin muffin pan. Coat each muffin cup lightly with oil using a pastry brush, or with a little butter. Or use one of those convenient vegetable oil sprays. Distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and serve slightly warm.

Just perfect! And soooo moist. Delish!

P.S. If you think I am missing or MIA recently and possibly continue to forget to visit or post now and then it is just because with the warm, summer-like weather we have had here in So. Cal., I have been inspired to get off the computer and play with the kids, go for long walks, go to the pool (our community pool is now heated again), exercise, take the kids to Disneyland (with our passes), go to the pool, go out to eat, make margaritas, drink wine outdoors, go skating, go to the pool, make black bean soup, make cilantro pepita dressing, make cocktails, go to the pool, go to the beach, make more play dates, sign the kids up for camp, go to the pool, watch movies, have friends over for dinner, make food out of nothing, teach a friend from Romania how to make Mexican food, go to the pool, help plan a cousin's wedding, make birth announcements, go to the pool, go shopping, go to sushi, buy clothes, go to the pool, make mini tuna crab cakes in little mini tortilla bowls and take them to friends at the pool (I am so mad I didn't take a picture of this yesterday! They were GOOD, cute and I didn't even think I had anything for lunch before envisioning it), meet up with old friends you now talk to on FB, go to a museum, order pizza with friends, have more friends over, did I say go to the pool?

Needless to say my kids are progressing by leaps and bounds in their swimming skills. They are great. I am proud. We are fat, VERY tan and happy. So if you do miss me... I think you know where to find me! AT THE POOL! So come on down and join us! Bring some sunscreen.

Left-over Gruyère and Cider Fondue Sandwich

This post is in honor of Kathy's Grilled Cheese Pageant at her blog Panini Happy.

She gave plenty of time for all to enter. I had some great thoughts and ideas. Who doesn't love grilled cheese. And it is SO easy! But with my own "Open House", Easter etc... Time danced quickly away from me and the last minute was nearing. I didn't have everything I needed to make a Croque Monsieur like I wanted. I didn't have fresh mozzarella so my favorite tomato, basil, mozzarella was out. Plus that is fairly common. The good news? I had some left-over cheese fondue. Maybe I could do something with that. And I had some homemade bread. But when I woke up, there was NOT much of that even left! Paul had eaten some for breakfast.

So what you see above is ALL of the bread left in the house! The filling is left over fondue from Easter. I had made Bon Appetit's Gruyère and Cider Fondue from the March issue for an Easter appetizer. It was fantastic on Easter and I hated to throw away the left-overs, but each time I stared at the sad lump of cheese in my refrigerator, I was uninspired. The pageant was a good opportunity to use it. It was a more spreadable texture given the alcohol it was cooked with. And it did not look very appetizing at first. As it cooked though, the cheese gained back some of its sheen and melted around my panini press. Still it didn't look all that pretty. I paired it with bacon as originally I served it with sausage and thought it was a nice change yet complimentary. It was good. But something seemed missing. Maybe the bacon should have been inside?

I wish I had taken photos of the original fondue. It was great paired with bread (of course), small potatoes, green apples and kielbasa sausage. But we were so busy with the Easter egg hunt, scavenger hunt, jumping on the trampoline, eating candy, visiting with relatives, swimming, two big birthdays (my sister's 40th and my cousin's 30th, and eating more treats and goodies than anyone needs, that I totally got sidetracked and forgot!

Yes! My son opened all of his Easter eggs and candy onto the trampoline and began to eat and then jump, eat and then jump. Everyone was cracking up! He is SUCH a Dennis the Menace!

Click on the collage to see the images better if you like!

Welcome to Open House Night!

Welcome to the Open House Night! This is a sort of belated blogoversary celebration for me. It has been just over a year since beginning the blog. And what a fun ride it has been. I have learned so much from the new dishes I created and from all of you. Mostly, I am grateful for the new friends I have made and finding such a warm and generous community of fellow foodies!

A big thank you to those who participated in the party and brought something to share. I really appreciate the time and effort. Not to mention the delicious recipes! YUMMY!

As with any party, real or virtual, I would like to start by offering you a drink! Here is a Greek Skinos on the rocks with a slice of lemon.

This beverage is brought by my good friend Peter at Kalofagas. If you you aren't familiar with Peter and his cooking, you are missing out! I highly recommend heading over and sampling some great Greek cuisine. It is all to die for! Today Peter brought the Greek liquer, Skinos which is made from mastic gum. He grabbed a tumbler, threw in some ice and poured us a good shot which is garnished with a slice of lemon. Let's sip and savour this one slowly! It is a sweeter drink, perfect for after dinner. For more on the drink or Peter head here.

How about a cookie to go with your drink? Check out these adorable Butterfly Sugar Cookies.

These were brought over from Kathy at Cooking on the Side. Not only are they delicious looking and cute but I love that they fit in with my stationery style at Miss 'N Nick Designs! How fun is that! Kathy is one ambitious and talented young mother. Not only does she stay at home with her toddler but she manages to now have two fabulous food blogs with a ton of followers. Panini Happy is Kathy's first blog and is devoted to panini sandwiches. Cooking on the Side is her newest. It explores the recipes which are printed on packages we all have at home. How creative is that! Read the recipe and more about these darling butterfly cookies here!

Are you more in the mood for chocolate? Try some of these Walnut & Chocolate Mini Balls!

Coming all the way from Canela's Kitchen in Santiago, Chile, these little spheres of goodness should tame even the fiercest of sweet tooths. I know they are fantastic as Canela certainly knows her way around a kitchen especially in the baked goods department. Note: She is as sweet as her sweets too! Check out her blog for a healthy dose of yum and some beautiful music to listen to as you read. For the how to and ingredients for the Chocolate balls, click here.

Still not rich and chocolatey enough for you? Dive on into this Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookie Cake! Talk about sinful! With this around you KNOW it is a special occasion.

This amazing tower of goodness is brought over from Kristen at Dine & Dish. Kristen is a multi-talented, multi-tasking mom of three wows me with all she can accomplish. Imagine pulling off this cake with three young ones! Oh but wait, she is also in her third trimester and expecting a fourth soon! How she manages to maintain such an amazing site, writing and cooking while raising these kids is beyond me. It must be the organizational skills coupled with an amazing attitude. At present she is even organizing the third round of Adopt a Blogger! Check it out on her site. Click here for the recipe on this chocolate masterpiece.

Had your fill of sweets? Would you prefer to start with the savory? Step on over here and try some of this amazing White Bean Dip with Pita Chips.

This white bean hummus is a perfect appetizer for just about any occasion. Melissa at Alosha's Kitchen pitched this one in and I couldn't be happier with how well it complimented all the other dishes. Now if you haven't sat down over at Melissa's blog yet, you must. Melissa claims she only started cooking a few years ago but you wouldn't know it when you look at the dishes this witty writer pulls out from her oven! Wow! She looks like a pro to me. Go check it out and see what you think. For the recipe on the white bean dip made with cannellini beans pop over here.

I made a few made a couple dishes myself too. The first is a Spanish Tortilla (often called tortilla de patatas or tortilla española). I have really been wanting to make one of these for a while. It is basically just potatoes and eggs cooked in a pan until browned. Who wouldn't love that? I read about them in many blogs and magazines and for some reason had never tried it. Even when I was in Spain one time. I thought this party was the perfect occasion to give it a go.

I based my recipe on a very simple one I found at the Food Network site. But I combined ideas and techniques from a few other recipes I read as well.

Spanish Tortilla

Ingredients

• 4-6 medium-small yukon gold potatoes, sliced thin
  
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• 4 extra large eggs
• a few splashes of half and half or milk (about 1/8 cup)
  

Slice the potatoes evenly and fairly thin. I used a mandolin set at 1/8". Slice the onion in the same fashion.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook the potatoes and onions on medium to low heat until they begin to soften. Some may begin to color or turn golden. Continue cooking and turning until the potatoes are cooked through but not falling apart or breaking. Remove the potatoes from the pan and drain in a collindar.

Meanwhile break the eggs into a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in milk. Add the potatoes and onions to the eggs mixture and toss until coated and evenly mixed.

Wipe out the frying pan and return to stove.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on a high heat and pour in the mixture, moving it around in the pan to make it lie evenly. Fry until golden brown on the bottom side. Turn down the heat and allow to cook for a couple minutes more to set the inside. The top may still be a bit runny. Continue to cook until the bottom is browned.

Slide the tortilla onto a large plate. Place the pan onto the plate and using oven mitts, flip the tortilla so the top side is now on the botttom. Return the pan to the stove and fry the other side until golden brown.

Slice into wedges and serve. DELISH!

Now I needed something to go with the Spanish tortilla. I opted for my famous (in my family) antipasto platter. The star of this platter is Spicy Marinated Mozzarella with Oregano and Capers from Bon Appetit. The first time I made it, I knew it was a keeper. And now it is one of my favorite go-to recipes for parties. EVERYONE loves it! I mean EVERYONE!

Spicy Marinated Mozzarella with Oregano and Capers

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons capers, chopped

Overlap cheese slices on medium platter.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper and stir just until garlic begins to color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in oregano, salt, and pepper. Cool. Stir in capers and remaining 4 tablespoons oil. Spoon over cheese slices.

I like to make a pretty platter with a variety of tasty items that all go together. I often vary what I put on the platter but I almost always place roasted red and yellow bell peppers, a mixture of tomatoes, basil, olive oil and garlic, salamis, prociutto, and olives. Other options are different meats, marinated mushrooms, artichokes, or different cheeses. Be creative. Use what is on hand and play with the color to make an attractive arrangement.

Serve with fresh bread. In this instance I once again made Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

_________________________________________________________________
But wait! Don't forget! There is a giveaway too! The winner can be found at this post on the
Miss 'N Nick Design Blog! Or leave a comment here asking me and I will reply posthaste!